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12/16/2016, 4:14pm

On social media, survivors, advocates and fans divided over Gophers boycott

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After the Gophers football team announced their boycott on all football activities Thursday evening — including the Dec. 27 Holiday bowl — student leaders, sexual assault victim-survivors and their advocates, and longtime Gophers fans are divided on whether to side with the team or University of Minnesota administrators.

University President Eric Kaler and athletics director Mark Coyle suspended ten football players from the team Tuesday after the school's Office for Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action (EOAA) released its recommendations after investigating the players' involvement in an alleged Sept. 2 sexual assault.

A sign that reads "#FireKaler #FireCoyle #WitchHunt" hangs from an apartment's balcony across the street from Gibson-Nagurski Football Complex on Friday, Dec. 16, 2016. University President Eric Kaler and AD Mark Coyle released a statement Thursday backing up their decision to suspend 10 football players from the team.

Nicholas Heinecke, a University alumnus, called the boycott "absolutely disgusting" in a post on Facebook. "If the school caves for this display, I'm backing out of the season tickets my family has held since before I was born," he wrote.

Greg Aase, a University alumnus, said on Twitter: "As a #Gophers season tix holder, I support the team. There are lot of good kids on the program and the suspensions paint all negatively."

The team and its coaches, including head coach Tracey Claeys, have publicly stood up for one another.

"Have never been more proud of our kids. I respect their rights & support their effort to make a better world!" Claeys tweeted Thursday.